Back division quick to find some fluency

Canterbury completed their pre-season campaign with an incredible show of pace to overwhelm hosts Southend in an 80- 0 victory on Saturday, writes David Haigh.

Eleven of Canterbury’s 12 tries were scored by a back division that, given the right possession, are likely to pose problems for any side.

The Essex club, relegated from National 2 and with a much revamped squad, can count themselves unlucky to be the first team to catch the blast.

As a rehearsal for tougher days ahead, it was perhaps not ideal as the home side set the tone by conceding a try in the first minute and by half-time were 42 points adrift.

It took 20 minutes for Canterbury to really hit their stride but when they did they opened up gaps almost at will and their speed did the rest.

While head of rugby Andy Pratt will have been impressed by that and a high turnover count, other issues remained clouded, in a one-sided contest.

The defence was solid in the face of some strong Southend ball carrying, Tom Rogers marksmanship at the lineouts was almost faultless and the form of new boys JJ Murray and Kieran Thompson, both of whom scored their first tries for the club, was another bonus.

The set scrums, however, left some unanswered questions as Southend disrupted a couple before their lack of replacement front row players forced that area to go uncontested for more than half the game.

Among the many positives were the first appearances of lock Royce Cadman and new flanker Hugh MccormickHuston, both recovered from injury and the accurate goal kicking of Ollie Best who converted 10 of the tries.

Scrum-half Dan Smart was the biggest beneficiary of a growing scorers list, with four touchdowns and the rest went to Murray (2), Aiden Moss (2), Thompson, Cameron Townley, Ollie Best and Tom Best. Saturday’s absentees, No.8 George Micans and flyhalf Martyn Beaumont are both available for the opening league game at Cinderford next weekend so competition for places should be fierce. Canterbury: A.moss (repl G.hilton), K.thompson, W.farris (repl T.best), JJ Murray (repl J.jones), H.sayers, O.best, D.smart, J.green (repl C.townley), T.rogers, S.kenny (repl A.cooper), R.cadman,t.burns (repl E.cohen), S.rogers, H.mccormick-huston (repl F.edwards), M.cantwell.